This is the joint website of Women Against Rape and Black Women's Rape Action Project. Both organisations are based on self-help and provide support, legal information and advocacy. We campaign for justice and protection for all women and girls, including asylum seekers, who have suffered sexual, domestic and/or racist violence.

WAR was founded in 1976. It has won changes in the law, such as making rape in marriage a crime, set legal precedents and achieved compensation for many women. BWRAP was founded in 1991. It focuses on getting justice for women of colour, bringing out the particular discrimination they face. It has prevented the deportation of many rape survivors. Both organisations are multiracial.

Her Majesty’s Inspectors have again produced a scathing report about the scandalous refusal of the police and CPS to act against rape.

As a grassroots women’s group taking calls from rape victims daily we contributed to their last report, in 2002. Since then, laws have been passed, guidelines have been issued, much publicity has been generated – and the conviction rate for reported rape has continued to fall.

While Tony and Ian Blair focus on defeating terrorists, are domestic violence, rape and racist assault being forgotten?

By Lisa Longstaff and Cristel Amiss,
The Times , Tuesday 17 January 2006

SOON after the shooting of the Brazilian Jean-Charles de Menezes by anti-terrorist officers, Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, called for public debate on policing. Now Tony Blair has announced drastic, immediate measures against hooligans, truants and their parents. But the most common, violent and terrifying antisocial behaviour - rape, domestic violence, racist attacks - do not appear a priority for either Blair.

Domestic violence - more common than street violence Children suffer harm and untold distress Most violence is not reported, and not acted upon when reported No money, nowhere to go Child Support Act has increased violence against women and children REFERENCES Domestic violence - more common than street violence

On Tuesday 8 December 1998, about 80 women and several men gathered in the House of Commons for Women Against Rape’s briefing, "End the Second Rape, Keep Victims’ Sexual History out of Rape Trials". Instead of the usual long MPs speeches, 18 women who spoke of their own experience - strikingly for an anti-rape event, many speakers were Black and immigrant. Women of all ages, with and without disabilities, single mothers . . . described rape by strangers, fathers, husbands and boyfriends and on mixed mental hospital wards and by the police and military in other countries. Many described speaking about their ordeal in court, in police stations, and in immigration interviews and tribunal/appeal hearings - as the second rape. Whatever their background wherever they were from their experiences were the same disbelief and humiliation.

The Rapist Who Pays the Rent: Women's case for changing the Law on Rape
2nd edn 1984, R. Hall, S. James, J. Kertesz
Led to the historic decision that recognized rape in marriage as a crime in England and Wales.

Rape in the Media: Submission to the National Heritage Committee Inquiry into Privacy and Media Intrusion, 1993
Is the law on anonymity enough to protest rape survivors? Or are we still identified, judges, misrepresented and exploited by the media's sexist and racist stereotypes?

Ask Any Woman: A London Inquiry into Rape and Sexual Assault Report of the Women's Safety Survey conducted by Women Against Rape 1985, Ruth E. Hall
Groundbreaking information and analysis of women's experience of rape and other violence. First-ever figures on racist sexual assault.